A private show is where Chaturbate turns from a busy group chat into a one-to-one conversation. It’s also where most of the money goes, so it’s worth knowing exactly how it works before you send a request.

If you’ve never had a private show anywhere, your first private show: what to expect is a good companion to this page.

How it works on Chaturbate

A few rules from Chaturbate’s own help center shape everything else:

  • Only you can start it. Private shows begin with a request from a viewer. Performers can’t start one themselves.
  • The performer sets two numbers: a rate in tokens per minute and a minimum number of minutes.
  • When it starts, you both move into a private chat room. The video is only visible to you, apart from any spies (see below).
  • Either of you can end it by clicking End Private Show.

What it costs

Rates are set by each performer and vary a lot. Chaturbate’s own filter for available private shows runs from 6 tokens a minute up to 90 tokens a minute and more. That’s a wide range, from about 66 cents to $10 a minute at the 100-token pack price of 11 cents a token.

Multiply the rate by the minimum length to know what you need in your balance before you ask. A performer charging 30 tokens a minute with a 5-minute minimum needs at least 150 tokens. We’d hold a bit more so you aren’t watching the counter. Buying Chaturbate tokens shows the packs.

Before you ask

Spend some time in the public room first. You’ll get a feel for the performer’s mood and whether you’d enjoy talking to them alone.

Then agree on the basics in chat. Chaturbate tells performers to be clear with viewers before a private starts: how long it will last, what will and won’t happen, and whether it will be recorded. Asking those questions politely is normal, and it avoids disappointment on both sides.

Requesting the show

Under the video you’ll find the private show button. Click it, read the rate and minimum, and send the request. The performer sees a notification and can accept or decline. A decline isn’t personal. They may be finishing up or taking a break.

Spying, and how to avoid it

In a regular private show, performers can allow spying: other users pay a per-minute rate to watch the video. Spies can’t see the private chat between you and the performer. Performers can also switch spying off completely.

If you’d rather nobody watched at all, look for a Premium private show. It’s a newer type of private show that doesn’t allow spies, usually at a higher rate the performer sets separately. Everything else works the same.

More on the different show formats across sites in spy, group or private show: which one?

Keeping a recording

Performers can choose to let viewers keep a recording of their private show. If they do, you may receive a non-downloadable recording in your Chaturbate collection afterward. It’s worth asking before you start if that matters to you, since performers can turn it on or off at any time.

Your camera

Under the video you’ll also see a Cam To Cam option. It’s entirely your choice and your camera stays off unless you start it. If you’re curious, read cam2cam for beginners first and keep your face out of the frame.

Ending it

Click End Private Show whenever you’re ready. Check the minimum length before you start, because that’s the least the show will cost. A small tip at the end is common if you enjoyed it, never required.

Other show types you’ll come across

Password shows: the performer locks the room with a password and only viewers who have it can get in. The tokens aren’t deducted automatically, so the agreed amount is tipped before the show.

Ticket shows: viewers buy a ticket by tipping a set number of tokens and only ticket holders see the stream. Some performers give free tickets to their fan club members.

Keeping the cost under control

Twenty minutes at 60 tokens a minute is 1,200 tokens, around $100. Buy only the tokens you want to spend on the show, and leave Auto Refill off so the balance acts as your limit. A timer on your phone helps too.

For worked examples of evenings with and without a private, see how much Chaturbate costs.